Progress of Negotiation between ASEAN and China for Code of Conduct for South China Sea

19 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he can provide an update on the progress of the negotiation and finalisation of the code of conduct for the South China Sea that is being drawn up by ASEAN and China.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: In-person negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea had resumed last May, after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Negotiators are currently on the second reading of the draft text. Singapore will continue to work towards an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and that safeguard the rights and interests of all parties in the South China Sea.